Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-26
Gales aud Sketfhes.
.HE ARMY OF THIEVES.
THEIR GRADES OF RANK AND THEIR
METHODS OF Dome WORK.

Crime has its specialties just as honest
industry. The approach of summer indi-
Gates the period when, as every shrewd
detective knows, robberies of certain
character are perpetrated. Sometimes it
| is postoffice along railroad or on a
turnpike; again it is country store or
dweiling; but in nine out of ten cases the
robbery is the work of tramps. Az they
90 from city to city they are sure to stop
on the wav to do one of these ''iobs." If
persons living outside of big cities would
carefully read the newspapers OF any large
place they could readily understand how
The acts are facilitated and learn how to
Illustrate them. This class of robbers is
known as "bums." They 60 in "mobs''
Of two and three, and are familiar with
the methods of one another. They have
certain localities where they meet. in the
vicinity of lime kilns. large factories, coax
furnaces, smelling works, and any other
place where workmen congregate and
where they are likely to secure morsel
of gossip which will put them in the way
of accomplishing a robbery. Cunning
fellows they are, careful not to address
each save by nicknames, which invaribly
are the result of some pecnliaritv OF habit,
appearance or residence. "Baby-face
Shorty" Trenton Pete, ".Slim Johnny"
Baltimore Jack" and Greasy Joe. )"
are only few bona fide sobriquets OF
tramps known to the police of Philadel-
phia, Wilmington, Washington, and Bal
limore, as desperate characters. Many OF
| the terrible deeds which have Mortified
the readers of the newspapers have been
those of tramps. The country is their
favorite field of action. They are the very
| lowest class OF criminals.
Directly opposite to them in personal
habits and line of work are the bank bur.
glars. These are the most accomplished
class of thieves. The "bank man, FOR
gopher" is always neatly dressed fel-
low who lives we'll and spends his unlaw-
full gains freely. He possesses fertility OF
mind, ingenuity of invention, mastery OF
mechanical knowledge. patience and keen
foresight. His object is to get into the
vault or safe of bank. In one instance
the vault must be penetrated from the top,
as was attempted in the Eutaw Savings
Bank building in Baltimore some years
ago. The second floor of the structure
was then occupied by congregation OF
ne Southern Methodist Episcopal Church
of which Rev. S. S. Rcssell was pastor
| Several services were held every Sunday
and on the majority of the nights in each
week Bible classes and meetings were in
session. One night burglars effected ar
entrance to the room and directly in from
uf the pulpit cut the carpet, folded it back
md loosened several boards in the floor
over the top of the vault, which was or
the first floor. The purpose was to cut
through the ceiling of that story and reach
| the vault, then puncture it with drilled
holes until section could be lifted away
This done, it would be easy TO secure the
contents. Night after night for weeks the
'gophers" piled tools, replacing with the
| greatest care on every occasion the floor
ing, carpet and even the scraps of dirt
Finally the vault was reached, but instead
If encounteripg its uppermost part, al
enormous slab of thick stee, met them
They were unable to surmount that obsta
Gle and abandoned the job on Satur
day night The following day when The
congregation came they were startled by
the evidences of the robbers activity.
The Third National Bank on South
street, in the same city, was loser to the
extent of $4,000 by the operations Of
burglars, who rented room is store
next door, put out sign of commission
merchants and cut through a wall to the
side of vault.
Besides the generalship required for
such labor, originality must be a part OF
the plan. Science in the manufacture OF
intricate tools is needful. The inventions
| in this line are wonderful and so pro-
gressive that only the most impregnablt
vault. lined with plate upon plate of stee
and closely guarded by Waterman. who
in turn is watched by means of an indica
tor, not unlike a large-faced clock in APP
pearance, is reasonably free from danger
Drills, wedges. "iimmies," clamps tina
can be bored into the outer plate of a saf'
door and as they enter will tear gradually
the door from its fastenings. picks" blow
pipes, bellows to pump fresh air to :
gopher" when working in small place
are but few of the many articles in tn,
Kit of well-equipped bank burglar
Chemicals to harden tools or soften tn,
object OF attack are now used as we'll a
dynamite to burst assunder the stronghold
under attack. The remuneration is larg,
when success Is achieved.
There are many expert bank burglars
At the head of them stands "Old Man
Jimmy Hope. who is the only exception
to poor gopher" He has just finishes
slime" in the S ate prison for attempting
to rob bank in Sab Francisco, by tn
same method used in the Eutaw Saving
Bank case. He was surprised in broa'
daylight, in a room he rented over tn
bank, drilling holes IN the top of the vault
1t is known that he is wealthy. Inspecto
Byrnes of New York has him now in Au
burn prison in New York for complicit
in the Manhattan Bank robbery severa
wears ago, when 100000 was stolen
Other noted burglars are George Mason
Charles Adams, Walter Sheridan an
Langdon w. Moore. A gopher mob
thoroughly organized and comprises usu
ally from four to seven men. Each doe
special work. They are by no mean
desperate men. and would sooner run an
time than show fight. 1t is only as las
resort to save their lives that they vii
kill even a term in the penitenfiary
with them preferable to mourning tn
death penalty.
The next class in ability and intell
gence are torgers and counterfeiters
They are an initiative set. As printer
term it, they follow copy" Alter
coin is "struck" or note forged tn
ability to .'shove the queer" on an unsus
Meeting person is the next requisite. Usu